ElSayed scrutinized for physician claims sans license

Abdul ElSayed, the frontrunner in Michigan's Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters, has come under scrutiny for repeatedly describing himself as a physician despite never holding a medical license in Michigan or New York, according to state records reviewed by Politico.

ElSayed, who earned a medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a doctorate in public health from the University of Oxford, has highlighted his medical background throughout his campaign. In April, he referred to himself multiple times as a physician during a local TV interview. The previous month, he told Teamsters nurses he had participated in hospital codes and stated on a podcast, "I've been a doctor my whole career." His LinkedIn profile lists him as a "physician and epidemiologist," and at a late-April debate hosted by the Council of Baptist Pastors in Detroit, he introduced himself similarly. He did not correct Sen. Bernie Sanders last year when the Vermont senator called him a physician during a Medicare for All event.

State records confirm ElSayed has no medical license in Michigan or New York, where he trained and lived. His...